Columbia Harbour House Dinner Review

*This gluten free and dairy free dining review took place in February 2019.

Dinner at Columbia Harbour House

Columbia Harbour House, located in Liberty Square in the Magic Kingdom, has long been one of my go-to quick service restaurants for gluten free and dairy free options. Well, really, it's my go-to spot for allergy-friendly chicken tenders. I don't know what it is about this location, but I've always just loved the way they cook their allergy-friendly chicken tenders. The rest of the special diets options are pretty limited. But, the chicken tenders are just so good, they're hard not to order anyway!

On this particular visit, we stopped by Columbia Harbour House before attending the Disney Vacation Club Moonlight Magic event held in the park that night. As a part of the event, we were given a voucher to redeem a complimentary quick service entree and beverage at select locations. Thankfully, Columbia Harbour House was on that list, which meant free allergy-friendly chicken tenders!

Atmosphere

Unlike other Liberty Inn in Epcot, which is also colonial America themed, Columbia Harbour House is a beautifully themed restaurant with a sea faring colonial village theme.

Colubmia Harbour House - Sign / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW

Although I didn't snag many photos that night, you can see a lot of the colonial theming and touches throughout the restaurant.

Columbia Harbour House - Interior / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW

Although the photo here highlights more traditional theming, both Brandon and I always love the nautical touches and even the sea shanty songs you can hear in the background when you dine here.

The Food

Of course, our big reason for going to Columbia Harbour House is always the allergy-friendly chicken tenders and the huge portion sizes they serve at the restaurant. Like most Disney owned restaurants, Columbia Harbour House does carry an allergy-friendly lunch and dinner menu. You can also always ask to speak with a manager to discuss any concerns and additional options for special dietary needs. The location is pretty limited on options. So if you don't want a salad, baked salmon, or chicken tenders, I would recommend dining at another location.

Columbia Harbour House / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW

Last summer, Brandon and I discovered that the restaurant had changed the brand of allergy-friendly chicken tenders they were using. Most locations on Disney property still serve the Ian's brand allergy-friendly chicken tenders. But, at this location, you'll find the Chef's Line brand being served. If you want to know more about this brand and ingredients, check out the post I wrote back in July 2018 about it, which includes photos of the ingredients that the manager shared with me.

Overall, these particular chicken tenders remind me a lot of the AllergyFreeFoods brand that Disney used to serve. These are more chicken nugget style, and they do have a lot of breading on them. Brandon prefers the Ian's brand over this one. I like both, but after this last visit, I think I lean slightly towards the Ian's brand in preference -- only because I found these chicken tenders to be a lot saltier. They're still really good though, and we both agreed we'd still order these any time. And, as you can see from the photo, my portion was pretty large too.

Overall

No matter what brand of allergy-friendly chicken tenders they are serving, Columbia Harbour House always does a great job of frying the allergy-friendly chicken tenders to perfection (and in a dedicated fryer too). It's a great go-to spot if you're craving allergy-friendly chicken tenders or even a healthier option, like baked salmon, when you're in the Magic Kingdom.

Have you been to Columbia Harbour House? What did you think of the food options there?

Columbia Harbour House -- Dinner -- Quick Service -- Magic Kingdom

*This dining experience took place in July 2018.

Dinner at Columbia Harbour House

Columbia Harbour House, located in Liberty Square in the Magic Kingdom, is a one of my go-to quick service restaurants in the theme parks for allergy-friendly chicken tenders. Even though the allergy-chicken tenders are typically the same across Disney property, for some reason, I just like the way they cook them at Columbia Harbour House. Recently, we stopped by the restaurant for a quick early evening dinner as Brandon and I were both craving allergy-chicken tenders.

Atmosphere

There's something really charming about Columbia Harbour House's theme. It's meant to reflect a Colonial era sea-faring town (like Boston).From the decor to the cast member costumes, everything definitely says Colonial times.One of my favorite spots in the restaurant is the second floor. It's a great spot to enjoy a quiet meal and get away from the hustle and bustle of the theme park crowds. Plus, it's perfect for getting a bird's eye view of the restaurant and Liberty Square outside.As you can see by this photo, there is ample seating on the second floor. But, depending on the time of day, you just might have the restaurant seating to yourself. We dined around 4 p.m., and as you can see it was pretty quiet.

The Food

Like most restaurants in Disney World, Columbia Harbour House does carry an allergy-friendly menu. Although I didn't think much of it when we ordered, I did notice that the menu had changed slightly from our most recent visit in March 2018.We ordered two orders of the allergy-friendly chicken tenders and were given a pager to come back when they were ready.When we arrived back at the counter, the manager at Columbia Harbour House presented us with our allergy-chicken tenders. But, both Brandon and I noticed immediately that they looked completely different from the Ian's brand allergy-friendly chicken tenders that Disney has been serving at locations across property. We both asked if this was a new change, and the manager told us he was told that this was a property wide change that would be happening due to issues with supply for the Ian's brand.He also offered to show us the packaging for the the chicken tenders, which were Chef's Line brand. These are gluten free, dairy free, and egg free and may cover some other special dietary needs, as well. They are also certified gluten free. You can find out more about the brand and ingredients on their website.As we learned from some blog readers, Disney's Special Diets Department has advised guests that they are testing out several different allergy-friendly chicken tender brands, including those that are top 8 free. Many readers have expressed disappointment that these contain soy. Unfortunately, even when Disney has served soy free allergy-friendly chicken tenders, they have not been an option for soy free guests at some locations due to the oil used to fry them. So, sadly, the allergy-friendly chicken tenders have been hit or miss with those are who soy free. Still, it's nice to know that Disney is testing a variety of options to ensure the tastiest and safest options for guests.As you can see, two orders of Allergy-Friendly Chicken Tenders and Fries made in a dedicated fryer is a ton of food. So, if you're not that hungry or have a small appetite, you can easily split one order. I also always ask for Ken's Steakhouse Cocktail Sauce, which is gluten free and a nice condiment for the chicken tenders and fries.Once we were seated, we had to dig in and see how the new allergy-friendly chicken tenders tasted. The verdict? I think they taste very similar to the original AllergyFreeFoods brand of allergy-friendly chicken tenders that Disney used to serve. So, if you had that particular brand and loved them, you will really enjoy these chicken tenders. They do have more breading on them, so under-cooking is a bit more of a potential too (which Brandon noticed).If you are a fan of the crunchier Ian's brand allergy-friendly chicken tenders, you might be disappointed by these. Brandon much prefers the Ian's brand, so he was pretty saddened by the new brand change. He doesn't mind the new ones, but he loves the Ian's brand, so this was a bummer for him. Of course, taste is all subjective, so it completely depends whether you will like one version or the other. I like both, and didn't mind the new version for some different variety.

Overall

Columbia Harbour House is still our go-to spot for allergy-friendly chicken tenders at Disney World. We'll be interested to see how the new allergy-friendly chicken tenders changes continue. And, we're interested to try some other brands too. In the meantime, we might be at Hollywood Studios at ABC Commissary or the Backlot Express for the Ian's brand allergy-friendly chicken tenders so that Brandon can get his cravings in before they switch to a new brand.Have you been to Columbia Harbour House or another location for allergy-friendly chicken tenders? What did you think of the brands served at Disney?

Columbia Harbour House -- Dinner -- Quick Service -- Magic Kingdom

*This dining experience took place in February 2018.

Dinner at Columbia Harbour House

Columbia Harbour House, located in Liberty Square at the Magic Kingdom, is one of my go-to quick service spots in the park. Though it's allergy-friendly lunch and dinner menu is somewhat limited for guests with special dietary needs, they serve allergy-friendly chicken tenders there -- one of my favorite quick service meal options. On this occasion, we stopped by for a quick dinner in between some fastpasses on a random weeknight in the park.

Atmosphere

Columbia Harbour House has a ton of charm and lots of great theming. Set to resemble a sea-side Colonial New England town, you'll see lots of colonial decor, along with sea-faring art and collectibles. You'll find lots to look at in every nook and cranny of the restaurant.My favorite spot to dine is on the 2nd floor. A lot of guests don't know it exists, but it's a perfect spot to rest, recharge, and refuel with some allergy-friendly chicken tenders.On the night we visited, it was a bit later in the evening, so the 2nd floor was closed. Still, we found lots of seating on the main floor and even tucked away in a quiet side room.

The Food

Although there are some other gluten free and dairy free meal options, I have to order allergy-friendly chicken tenders whenever I dine at Columbia Harbour House. Even though these are the same allergy-friendly chicken tenders you can get a variety of locations at Disney, for some reason they taste best at Columbia Harbour House. Maybe it's because they have frying down to an art?Both Brandon and I ordered allergy-friendly chicken tenders. Brandon actually prefers these over the regular chicken tenders, if you can believe it. So, he's taken to ordering these, as well. We got 2 orders -- 1 with French Fries, Green Beans, and Carrots, and 1 with a double order of French Fries.As you can see from the photo, we had huge portions. The amount of food we both got was way more than we expected. And, we both joked that we could have easily split one meal. Each of us got about 6 allergy-friendly chicken tenders and a huge heaping of fries. I also got the green beans and carrots, which comes with the meal normally (Brandon asked for Double Fries, as he isn't a fan of green beans). The green beans and carrots were pretty bland, but everything else was delicious.I have also started getting a package of Ken's Steak House Cocktail Sauce with my meal. Ken's dressings are marked gluten free. These sauces are not shelved in the main dining area, but are stored in the kitchen area. So be sure to ask a manager if you want a container of this.

Overall

We absolutely loved our meal. At around $10.99 a piece, this is a huge value. Between the large portions and terrific taste, this is definitely a spot we continue to have as our go-to for a quick service dinner at the Magic Kingdom. We always enjoy the chicken tenders and never leave hungry!Have you been to Columbia Harbour House? What's your go-to menu item there? 

Columbia Harbour House -- Dinner -- Quick Service -- Magic Kingdom

*This dining experience took place in November 2017. 

Dinner at Columbia Harbour House

Columbia Harbour House, located in Liberty Square at the Magic Kingdom, has been a long-time favorite quick service location for me. I don't know what it is, but they have frying gluten free and allergy-friendly chicken tenders down to an art. And, so, I stopped by recently to grab a quick dinner -- my favorite allergy-friendly chicken tenders.

Atmosphere

Although I didn't get very many photos on this visit, I absolutely adore the theme of Columbia Harbour House. With all of the nautical touches, you'd swear you were visiting a colonial New England seaside town.The seating includes upstairs and downtairs options -- all filled with dark wood and nautical touches everywhere you look. One of my favorite spots is upstairs in some of the corner rooms, where I can enjoy my meal and look out at the Disney guests below visiting the Magic Kingdom. It's a really nice spot that not a lot of people know about too.

The Food

But, of course, the real reason I go to Columbia Harbour House is the food. The restaurant doesn't have a really extensive Allergy-Friendly Lunch and Dinner Menu, but what it has is really good. I seriously don't know what Columbia Harbour House does, but I swear their allergy-friendly chicken tenders are the best. They are literally the same brand at every location, but there's something about how they fry them there that just works.It is important to note that Columbia Harbour House, like any Disney-owned restaurant, takes cross-contamination seriously. They use a dedicated fryer only for allergy-friendly chicken tenders and fries, so you don't have to worry about not having safe fried food.On this visit, I ordered the chicken tenders, and I was surprised to see that it also came with green beans and carrots. The Allergy-Friendly Chicken Tenders, French Fries, and Vegetables are both gluten free and dairy free.As you can tell by the photo, the portion I got was HUGE! So much food, and that made it a great value at around $9 and could easily be split by two people. One important thing to know is that if you have a fish/shellfish allergy, Columbia Harbour House does have a lot of fried seafood. And, the allergy-friendly menu actually discourages from anyone with a fish/shellfish allergy from eating there. With that in mind, we actually got Brandon (who is allergic to both fish & shellfish) food someplace else before I got allergy chicken tenders, just to be safe.

Overall

The allergy-friendly chicken tenders at Columbia Harbour House are a frequent meal option for me, especially when we're in the Magic Kingdom. It's easy to get, safe for me to eat, and delicious. Though their menu is pretty limited, you won't miss the options when you can get these allergy-friendly chicken tenders!Have you been to Columbia Harbour House? What did you think of this quick service restaurant?

Columbia Harbour House -- Lunch/Dinner -- Quick Service -- Magic Kingdom

*This dining experience took place in June 2014.Hear ye, Hear ye! Columbia Harbour House is one of my top go-to quick service locations on Disney property. With it's special diets menus and nice variety of options, including healthful ones, Columbia Harbour House makes for a great spot in the Magic Kingdom to grab a meal.It's been a while since I've done a review, mostly because I tend to order just the allergy chicken tenders here. However, on this most recent visit, I split a couple of entrees with family and ordered a new dish.On this particular occasion, we stopped by for a late lunch right before the typical Florida summer afternoon thundershowers hit. It was a great thing we did because we avoided the massive storm and got into the restaurant, ordered and were seated before the floods of guests came through (which always happens during rain).When I approached the cast member at the cash register, I let them know that I have special dietary needs. What's nice about Columbia Harbour House is that they give you a special diets menu before the manager comes out to meet you. This is so very handy because it gives you a sense of what you might or might not be able to order. Of course, the manager always has the allergy/ingredients binder on hand to refer to as well, especially if your special dietary need is not covered on the menu.I decided to get my standby allergy chicken tenders and fries along with the Garden Harvest Salad with chicken and Zinfandel dressing. It was a hot day out, so the salad seemed like a great idea to split. It looks to me like the salad doesn't need really any modifications as is straight off the menu, so it's nice they have a naturally gluten free and dairy free option at the restaurant.I have said it before, and I will say it again. Columbia Harbour House sure knows how to fry food! They have the hands down best fried allergy chicken tenders on property. They always come out so crispy and delicious. I can't say a bad thing about the tenders and fries. They are delicious!As far as salads go, everyone who tried this thought it was just so-so. Not a terrible salad but not great either. The accompaniments were a little weird. It was lettuce, lots of carrots (as you can see), steamed green beans, raw red bell peppers and grilled chicken. The salad dressing, while good, was given to us in a very small portion, so next time I would ask for more. The salad was certainly fresh, but I will probably skip this and stick to my chicken tenders from now on. Or get a salad from someplace like Hollywood Brown Derby for their famous (and delicious) Cobb salad. I'm a big fan of it, and I know Alexis from Gluten Free in Orlando enjoys it as well!Overall, I think the allergy chicken tenders will continue to be my go-to meal at Columbia Harbour House. I'm curious to try the grilled salmon with steamed broccoli sometime for something different. I give this particular experience a 7.5 out of 10.Have you been to Columbia Harbour House? Are you as big of a fan of the allergy chicken tenders as I am?

Columbia Harbour House -- Lunch/Dinner -- Quick Service -- Magic Kingdom

*This dining experience took place in July 2013.

 Hear ye, hear ye! If you visit the Magic Kingdom, you've probably seen Columbia Harbour House located in Liberty Square. Situated across from the Haunted Mansion, Columbia Harbour House offers quick service that proves to be more than just burgers and fries. With lots of New England inspired dishes, you'll see chowder and lobster rolls as well as fried fish on the menu. You might assume that guests with special diets won't be able to get much here; however, they carry one of my favorite quick service options on property: allergy friendly chicken tenders and french fries in a dedicated fryer!I decided to go to Columbia Harbour House on a whim while visiting the MK one day. The chicken tenders sounded like a good idea, and I will say I've always had a particular fondness for the ones prepared at this location. Even though they are the same chicken tenders served across property for special diets, there's something about the way they fry them at CHH.It was lunch time when I arrived here, so it was slightly busy but not as bad considering how busy the park was. I was greeted by a manager who brought over the famous allergy binders. She showed me the chicken tenders as one allergy option. The only other allergy option they had was Amy's mac & cheese--yeah that wouldn't quite work for me! I asked her if other options like the Lobster Roll had GF/DF alternatives. She let me look at the ingredients, but said they didn't have any buns. Well that's a bummer! It looked like the lobster salad was safe for GF/DF based on the ingredients I saw. The manager said they could serve it on a bed of lettuce, but I went with the allergy chicken tenders. On another note, it looked like the salmon served without the couscous might also be a safe option.

Seating in CHH

The seating at this quick service is located on two floors. The cool thing is there are lots of nooks and crannies and places to find quiet spots. I recommend heading to the second floor if you're looking for a quieter meal.

Allergy Chicken tender yumminess!

As you can see from the photo, the portion is quite large. They charged me for the tenders and fries separately. I believe the tenders were a little over $5 and the fries were around $2.75. All in all, I found them to be just as delicious as ever. The tenders were extra crispy and piping hot, as were the fries. From start to finish, they take 8 minutes to prepare according to the manager. The only downside is that they don't have any individual packets of ketchup or other condiments. Besides being a cross contamination risk, they also don't list what company or ingredients are in the sauces, so I ate everything plain. This wasn't a huge loss, as they both were quite delicious!Overall, I still think Columbia Harbour House prepares the best version of the allergy chicken tenders. There's just something about them! As far as other options, they are more limited than say Cosmic Rays or Be Our Guest. If you're looking for allergy chicken tenders this is the place to visit, but look elsewhere if you want other options. I give this a solid 7 out of 10.Have you been to Columbia Harbour House with a special diet? What did you get?